H&M’s new collection is ultra glamorous – and completely green

From washed up plastic waste and recycled shampoo bottles to beautiful pleated gowns, sequined tops and perfect suits. This is what you need to know about Conscious Exclusive.

12 April 2017

Tencel, recycled polyester, recycled glass, organic silk, organic cotton and organic linen all star in H&M’s upcoming Conscious Exclusive collection. It’s the sixth consecutive year that H&M releases a collection of glamorous evening wear with every piece being made in sustainable materials. This year the collection also includes menswear, and for the first time items for children as well.

When creating the collection, the designers envisioned pieces that could encapsulate people’s memories. Glamorous dresses and dapper tuxedos to wear at special occasions, and to hold on to for years to come.

“For this year’s Conscious Exclusive collection we thought not only about the look of the pieces, but also how they feel and sound. It’s a collection to please all our senses, and also our desire to be sustainable in everything we do,” says Pernilla Wohlfahrt, H&M’s Head of Design and Creative Director.

To make pieces that can encapsulate memories, they need to appeal to more senses than just your vision. The designers want you to feel the super soft velvet lining in the shoes, hear the rattling sound the earrings make when you shake your head, and smell one of the three unisex scents that accompany the clothes.

It’s a collection to please all our senses

Pernilla Wohlfahrt, H&M’s Head of Design and Creative Director

One of the collection’s key pieces is a light pink gown of flowing pleats made in BIONIC® – which is a polyester made of recovered and recycled shoreline waste. Every dress is made out of 88 plastic bottles that have been washed up from the ocean, collected and transformed into a beautiful sheer fabric. The inspiration for prints and embroideries come from another abstract human sensation – our dreams. This is shown through the distorted peonies and mimosas and the hand-embroidered outlines of a sleeping – and dreaming – woman on a padded clutch and jacket.

The collection includes a sequined cocktail dress and a tank top.

Conscious Exclusive is H&M’s most glamorous collection and this year’s edition is the most colourful to date, with a sequined cocktail dress and tank top, a chiffon wedding dress and different silky evening dresses in pale yellow, pink and lavender. The menswear range is less colourful, but just as glamorous. The collection consists of three suits (one tuxedo, one business suit and one jacquard blazer) that are made in materials ranging from BIONIC® and tencel to organic wool and cashmere. On top of the more formal attire, there are relaxed silk and silk-mix shirts and a true stand-out piece: a black denim jacket with glass embroidery and French knot beading.

The black denim jacket from the men's collection and Conscious Exclusive for kids.

The women's collection is fronted by Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova, who teams up with H&M for the first time in her career.

“H&M's Conscious Exclusive collection shows how the best style can be mindful of the planet, to help protect it for the future. It's such a desirable collection, with pieces made in sustainable materials that you want to wear for seasons to come," she says.

Conscious Exclusive for women and kids will be available in circa 160 stores worldwide from 20 April. The menswear range is available online only from the same date.